During legal proceedings and other formal presentations a textual record is developed to document verbal testimony. For example, testimony offered during a trial is recorded by a court reporter using a device commonly referred to as a stenotype machine that has an abridged keyboard. Stenography was introduced in 1913 with the invention of the stenotype machine. This device, which contains twenty-five keys, allows the court reporter to press a combination of keys simultaneously to represent phonetic sounds, a word or a phrase that is being spoken. In this way, testimony can be recorded in shorthand with the stenotype machine as it is being presented without the undue delay that would result if the court reporter had to type every spoken syllable.
Like music, Braille or sign language, this shorthand language, which is referred to as stenography, is an entirely different and unique language, designed for the efficient recording of the spoken word. With traditional stenotype machines, the recorded key strikes, through dictation and typing are memorialized on a paper output. The translated document resulting from the dictation and typing efforts is an official transcript of the testimony.
Modern stenograph machines, commonly referred to as computer aided transcription writers (“CAT writers”) or transcription terminals, evolved from the traditional machines in the early 20th century. These CAT writers not only have the ability to print the recorded key strikes on a paper output, but also create an electronic copy of the recorded key strikes. Certain CAT writers also include a basic translation dictionary and a display screen where a preliminary translation of the recorded key strikes can be viewed as they are entered. The electronic copy of the recorded key strikes can be saved to digital storage media for delivery to a conversion unit, commonly referred to as a CAT machine or translation unit, which is typically a laptop computer running a translation software package that performs a complete translation of the shorthand text entered via the CAT writer following completion of the testimony. According to a more recent variation, the electronic copy of the recorded key strikes is transmitted in real-time to the translation unit as the key strikes are being recorded, allowing the key strikes to be translated into a transcript of the testimony as the key strikes are recorded. Regardless of the arrangement for delivering the recorded key strikes to the conversion unit, the conversion unit utilizes a piece of industry-specific software to translate the recorded key strikes into English, or another desired language.
With each use of a modern transcription system by a court reporter, a dynamic personal dictionary of the court reporter's specific stenographic style is generated, and is then updated with each subsequent use. New terminology, unique names and terms are continually added to the reporter's dictionary in order to grow the personal dictionary. The reporter's recorded key strikes translate against this personal dictionary to allow the most accurate translation possible.
The advent of the translational software packages and conversion units has also given way to other computer-aided advancements in the manner and speed of how testimony is received and utilized by third parties. During a legal proceeding, or other environment requiring the services of a stenographer, it is often desirable for the transcript to be made immediately available to the involved parties and any onlookers, collectively referred to as recipients. The process is currently performed by attaching a myriad of wires and cables to an ad-hoc network. It also requires the installation of proprietary software on the computing device of the intended recipient(s) to permit those connected to the network to view the translated record as it becomes available in real time. Following translation of the recorded key strikes by the conversion unit, the translated record, referred to as the transcript, can be communicated to the recipients' computing devices via a serial cable extending therebetween. However, conventional technology permits only a limited number of recipient computers, typically around 8, to be networked to the conversion unit at any given time.
Several attempts have been made to address these, and other, shortcomings of conventional transcription systems to make their use simple and secure, and to simultaneously deliver the transcript of recorded words to a large number of recipients. U.S. Pat. No. 5,369,704 to Bennett et al. is directed to a down-line transcription system for manipulating real-time testimony. As with most conventional transcription systems, the '704 patent discloses a system including a transcription terminal in the form of a stenographic machine, a computerized conversion unit for translating the shorthand recorded by the transcription terminal, and a plurality of portable computing devices used by parties to a legal proceeding. The conversion unit is described as a conventional laptop computer with an interface operatively connecting the conversion unit to the transcription terminal. Upon translating the shorthand transcribed units the conversion unit transmits a signal over a communication link to the laptops being used by the parties to the legal proceeding. According to one embodiment of the '704 patent, translated sentences are communicated from the conversion unit to the laptops via serial communication along the communication link. Secondary communication of the translated sentences can be facilitated by establishing a similar communication link from one of the laptops to a plurality of down-line laptops. The '704 patent also discloses a single communication link, or bus, using a TCP/IP protocol over an ethernet coaxial-cable link extending between an ethernet board in the CAT unit and each of the laptops. The '704 patent goes on to mention that other hardwired or wireless communication networks may also be implemented without providing any details surrounding the method of the wireless communication. And although it is disclosed that encryption of the signal becomes a requirement when the signal is to be disseminated amongst a wireless network of laptops, what the '704 patent describes as encryption is actually a method of transmission. The preferred encryption scheme described in Bennet et al. is the use of direct sequence spread spectrum transmission (“DSSS”). In contrast to encrypting a signal, DSSS is merely a protocol for dividing the signal into smaller quantities to be transmitted over the airwaves in a reliable manner. According to the DSSS protocol, a high data-rate code is combined with the signal at the sending station to divide the signal for transmission. This code is a redundant bit pattern for each signal bit that is to be transmitted, thereby providing a backup of the signal bits in the event that a signal data bit is damaged by interference during the transmission. Once divided, each quantity of the signal is allocated to a frequency channel across the available spectrum of frequencies. Although DSSS transmission divides the signal into smaller quantities, the signal is transmitted as a readily accessible, unencrypted signal. Without encryption, unauthorized parties can simply “tune in”, or adapt their receiving units to receive transmitted signals allocated to a spectrum of frequencies, and intercept a signal transmitted according to DSSS transmission. Thus, even when using DSSS transmission, encryption of the signal is necessary to minimize unauthorized interception of the signal. And since DSSS transmission applies only to radio frequency transmission, there is no division of the signal by the DSSS transmission protocol when a hard-wired network is used as described by the '704 patent. The '704 patent also lists other exemplary communication links which might be implemented include token ring, parallel, infrared, and radio frequency. Upon receipt of the signal via the communication link, the laptops display the alphabetic and numeric text and provide a variety of tools for reviewing and evaluating what has been received.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,615 also to Bennett et al. is directed to a variation of the previously discussed down-line transcription system. According to the '615 patent, the transcription system includes a transcription terminal in the form of a stenographic machine and a conversion unit for translating shorthand text from the transcription terminal. A communication link is again established to communicate information from the conversion unit to laptops being used by parties to a legal proceeding. Over this communication link however the laptops are also connected to several libraries of information pertaining to the subject matter at issue. One such library is described as an outline library with which the laptops may interact. Attorneys may use the laptops to tailor an outline from the outline library to meet their specific needs. This tailored outline may be extracted and stored locally on the laptop, or, the tailored outline may be fully stored and maintained by the outline library alleviating the need for local maintenance. Col. 11, lines 49-53. Similar to the '704 patent, the communication link that facilitates the transfer of information between the conversion unit, the libraries and the laptops may be as described as in the '704 patent which is incorporated into the '615 patent by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,245 to Bennett et al. is also directed to a similar down-line transcription system. In addition to the transcription terminal and the conversion unit, the '245 patent also discloses the receipt of text signals from the conversion unit by a laptop computer being used by an attorney. Upon receiving such signals, the laptop computer provides a variety of tools for reviewing and evaluating what has been received. Col. 8, lines 53-57. The signals from the conversion unit are transmitted via serial communication to the laptop or via a communication link in the form of a bus using TCP/IP protocol on an ethernet coaxial cable link using an ethernet board in each terminal. The ethernet coaxial cable described in the '245 patent and other patents discussed herein provides unstable transmission of data when compared to alternatives such as unshielded twisted pair wires. Other hardwired or wireless communication may also be implemented. Examples of the other communication links which may be implemented include token ring, parallel, infrared, and radio frequency. In the case of a wireless communication link, signals must be encrypted prior to their transmission. Col. 25, lines 10-21. The encryption is described in the '245 patent as a pseudo-random, secret spreading code common only to transceivers implementing DSSS transmission, however other encryption schemes may also be used. Again, as noted above, DSSS actually defines a transmission method, not an encryption method. A second communication link in the form of a telephone line attached to an internal modem of the attorney laptop also provides a communication link to additional remote interested parties. This second communication link is also described as optionally being a cellular radio frequency link. Col. 26, lines 47-58.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,392 is also directed to a down-line transcription system. The down-line transcription system includes a transcription terminal as well as a conversion unit. In addition to communicating translated text over a communication link to a laptop being used by an attorney, the '392 patent teaches that the attorney can download a variety of information from a remote storage location. The attorney has the option to download all or a part of the information from a remote location. Col. 16, line 59-Col. 17, line 2.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,639 discloses the conventional transcription terminal and conversion unit for providing real-time translation of shorthand text. A conversion unit transmits both the exact translation and where necessary the phonetic shorthand text down-line to an attorney terminal. The attorney terminal is equipped with suitable software that facilitates the display of the received text on a display of the attorney's terminal.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,194 discloses a similar down-line transcription system. According to the '194 patent, a transcription terminal is linked to a conversion unit for translating shorthand textual objects from the transcription unit. The translated text is transmitted over a communication link to an attorney's terminal in real time thereby permitting the attorney to view and edit testimonial evidence during a legal proceeding. The attorney's terminal is provided with various search modification aids and contextual analysis tools that allow the attorney's rapid access to needed information. Col. 5, lines 50-53.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,949,952 discloses a transcription system including a transcription terminal in the form a stenographic machine and a conversion unit operatively coupled to the stenographic machine. Audio and video data capture devices such as a video camera and tape recorder are also operatively coupled to the conversion unit. The recorded audio and video are synchronized by the conversion unit and are stored in a remote database. Remote attorney terminals can access the database and receive virtual real-time video and audio on demand. The transcription system performs storage and playback of video and audio transcripts along with the textual transcript and synchronization information so that the transcript can be selectively parsed and reviewed during and after a legal proceeding. Col. 14, lines 57-63.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,970,141 discloses a down-line transcription system having an encryption object to insure secure transmission of recorded testimony. An attorney terminal initiates communication with a conversion unit by constructing a log-in packet including digital information consisting of a source identifier, identifying itself as the source of the communication, a destination identifier, identifying the reporter terminal at the destination, and a pointer indicating the attorney terminal's current position which is defined as the last communication received from the reporter's terminal. Col. 29, lines 18-29. The attorney terminal transmits the log-in packet to the reporter terminal and waits for a response. Upon receiving a log-in packet, the reporter terminal enters the source identifier into a log-in list and transmits a responding packet containing a source identifier, destination identifier and the number of the most recently transmitted information. Col. 29, lines 40-46.
In addition to the use of a transcription system in a trial setting to provide real-time viewing of the transcript, there are many other settings that require real-time delivery of the transcript to be viewed, as well as retained and manipulated. These additional settings typically make it unpractical to physically wire the intended recipients to an ad-hoc, wired network and ensure the presence of proprietary software on the recipients' computing devices. Examples of such additional settings include the real-time provision of a working transcript to:
the hearing impaired in an educational environment;
delegates in a political environment where the exact meaning of what is said is required to be memorialized in visible text as it occurs;
those in an environment where instant visualization of the spoken word assists in the understanding of English as a secondary language;
members of the reporting press to aid in the accuracy of publicly disseminated information; and
members of the legal community to assist in the efficient gathering of testimony and, thus, reducing the cost of litigation.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a real-time transcription system that eliminates the requirement of proprietary on each authorized recipient's terminal to receive a transcript of spoken words in real time. The transcription system should establish secure communications between a conversion unit and an authorized recipient, and should be capable of transmitting the transcript to several authorized recipients simultaneously.